Saturday — Wednesday, 25-29 October. Milan
We arrived Milano around noon on Saturday, and made it to the same apartment we had back in August. Our now friends Paolo and Eriu met us, filled us in on the latest news and then sent us off to lunch. We went straight to Salsamenteria di Parma which we described in some detail in our earlier journal chapter on Milano.
No — we didn’t buy any Riccolo even though we saw the horns in the Piazza Cordusio. There have been many different demonstrations from various countries, probably as promotions for Expo 2015
We went to Solemn Mass at the Duomo on Sunday and it was quite an experience. It is very much like our High Mass. We had a boys and men’s choir which was fabulous, seven priests and a Cardinal and lots of incense. It was really a wonderful experience and one we will remember.
After Mass we wet to the top of the Duomo so Connie could see the beauty; she was very impressed. We headed back to the apartment where I fixed some lunch for us and then we went for a walk. The weather has really turned chilly so we have had multiple layers and our jackets but still didn’t stay out very long. Came back to the apartment and fixed chicken soup which turned out very good and warmed us up.
Monday we walked around for a bit, ate lunch out and then Connie and I went shopping. Connie had some luck in this area but I’m really not finding anything I like. The styles are not very attractive these days, especially for someone who doesn’t want to look like a wanna be teeny bopper or a very matronly woman!
We were getting pretty chilly so we headed back to the apartment, relaxed a bit then headed out for gelato! Yeah I know – we were cold and we went out for gelato? Just had to do it since some of the best was right here at Shokolat!
Tuesday was the city tour ending with the Last Supper. Although we took this tour in August when we were here, we wanted Connie to have this wonderful experience and as it turns out, we had a different guide. She was very good and a little different than the one in August so it turned out to be a great tour with added information not mentioned by the previous guide. Time for lunch again:) You can see the highlight of everything we have done ends with food!!! Did more shopping after that and this time is was Jim’s turn to find some nice clothes! As for me – well I’ll make do with what is in my closet for now!
Today, Wednesday, we headed over to San Siro where the Meazza Soccer Stadium and Leonardo’s Horse are located. But we began by walking over to the Church of San Maurizio which is loaded with frescos by the famous Italian artist, Bernardino Luini. The church is part of a building that once was a convent.
Painting of Saint Mary over the altar in San Maurizio church. That is Baby Jesus below her feet, acting somewhat like an angel, bird or in all probability, a fighter pilot.
Looking over the wall above the crucifix, you can see the section of this building that is the church. The frescos by Bernardino Luini, a follower of Michelangelo and Raphael, fill the walls on both sides.
Luini’s Noah’s ark. In this fresco, loading of the animals. There are frescos on either side — the right one depicts the flooding and the one on the left, the top of the mountain and unloading after the floods receded.
We then took the trolley to the soccer stadium, transitioning to a bus for the last 10-15 blocks. The stadium is huge — seems bigger than any stadium we have ever seen. It seats 85,000 and has a retractable roof. From our apartment terrazzo, it looks like an aircraft carrier because of the structures that stick out on all four corners to hold the roof when it is removed from above the playing field.
85,000 seat Meazza soccer stadium n Milan. It is huge and almost overpowering.
Milan’s Meazza soccer stadium where AC Milan and Inter Milan play to 85,000 fans. It really is huge.
Across the huge parking lot and down the street a little is the Ippodromo del Galoppo, or horse racing track and stadium. Here is located Leonardo’s Horse, or Gran Cavallo, originally designed by da Vinci and built up into a clay model which would have been used for casting the bronze statue. French soldiers used it as target practice back in 1499 and destroyed it. Nearly 500 years later, A United Airlines pilot, Charles Dent, began the effort to complete the project. It was ultimately completed, donated to the Italians by America (long list of American donors on two brass plates on the concrete base) and dedicated in 1999.
Close-up view of Leonardo’ da Vnci’s horse, the largest equestrian monument in the world, at the Ippodrome race track, with Fran serving to provide perspective to its size.
From here, we walked to the trolley stop, rode the trolley back to our side of town and headed to lunch at Trattoria San Tomaso.
As you can tell, we are winding down our Italian trip so there aren’t many photos left to post. Connie heads out on Friday, flying back to Florida and we head to Frankfurt on Sunday, to catch a flight to AZ on Monday. I have to say this has been quite the trip and one we’ll be talking about for a very long time. We have the best memories and stories.
Thursday – Friday, 30 – 31 October. Milan
On Thursday, all three of us ventured out in the chilly, damp air to visit the Museum of Antique Art at the Sforza Castle, primarily to see Michelangelo’s last work, the Rondanini Pietà. We toured the entire museum though and it was quite nice. Old tapestries, busts, weapons and armor displays, paintings, and artifacts from hundreds of years ago. The pietà was wonderful. If you didn’t know, a pietà by definition is Mary holding Jesus after he was taken down from the cross. Michelangelo sculpted four such statues and this was his last. The photo captions tell more of the story. Double-click on the pictures to get bigger and better views.
Michelangelo’s Pietà Rondandini, his last and unfinished work, in the Sforza Castle Museum of Ancient Art. Michelangelo died at 90 years old while working on this sculpture.
Michelangelo’s unfinished Pietà Rondandini with an admirer. Michelangelo died while working on this Pietà, his fourth. Notice the projection on the left – what was an arm and in Michelangelo’s later plan, not used. You can also see the original face of Mary, again, not part of the final plan.
From this angle of the Pietà, you can see both of Jesus’ right arms.
We then walked over to the Leonardo da Vinci Museum, more accurately, the Leonardo da Vinci National Science and Technology Museum. On the way there though we walked by the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie — remember, the site of the Cenecolo (Last Supper.) Managed a photo of the church from a different angle and decided to add it here as it is different than the view included in my first Milan journal entry.
Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie where the Cenecolo or Last Supper is displayed. Entrance to the former Dominican dining room where the painting is located is thru the door in the yellow building.
Back to the da Vince museum — absolutely wonderful. I’d say a must for anyone with any interest in science and technology. Plus, it was wonderful to see that the Italian schools here anyway bring out the students on field trips to places like this. Made the place noisy but in the interest of education…
We didn’t take any photos while in the museum — we’d have had 1,000 that are pertinent. But on the way out, we did stop into the adjacent Church of San Vittore al Corpo and have included a photo or two. You might be interested that this site was in the First Century, a very large funerary. Also, it was located outside of the city walls in those days.
Main altar of the Chiesa di San Vittore al Corpo, next to the da Vinci museum.
Ceiling of the Interior of the Chiesa di San Vittore al Corpo, next to the da Vinci museum.
The cricifix hung almost up to the ceiling of above the altar of the Chiesa di San Vittore al Corpo. We assumed it is lowered for certain celebrations. Notice also the ceiling decoration.
Close-up of a sculpture over the altar in one of the chapels in the Chiesa di San Vittore al Corpo, next to the da Vinci museum.
We then headed back home, walking along some of the nicer “shopping” streets. No bites though! Around 2:30 or so, we headed out to Malpensa Airport from which Connie would be flying to Newark Friday morning. The airport is 30 minutes by train from Milan Centro where we are and with a 9:10 flight, just made it easier, more comfortable and safer to be at the airport when one has a 7:10 show time. Jim and I then rode the train back to town, walked around a little and then called it a night.
On Friday, we did a load of wash and waited to see that Connie got off on time. We then headed over to the Risorgimento Museum, the museum documenting the unification of Italy after Napoleon’s downfall. Very nice, and short, tour, with nice paintings, artifacts (like clothes, swords, hats) and busts of Napoleon, his lieutenants and the civilian henchmen running Italy down thru the years to Garibaldi and his lieutenants. Unfortunately, we could not get into the room containing documentation of the final years of unification. Hence, no photos of Garibaldi in later years. Something to do with teachers activities. Since there were again students at this museum, we assumed they wanted to close up the room for use by teachers and students on a history field trip. What a great way to learn about the history of your own country.
Bust of a young Napoleon in the Risorgimento Museum.
Painting of Napoleon as emporer of Italy.
Painting of a young Giuseppe Garibaldi, one of the four fathers of a unified Italy and famous from Russia to Europe to South America and the United States.
We then had lunch at a little trattoria we had tried before. Excellent pizza.
After lunch, we headed back up to a little store we had discovered in the morning right down the street. They had the right clothes in the right colors and in the right sizes. Want to get an idea of how I made out? We had to go find another bag to bring things back to the U.S. with us! But all the clothes were just right, especially the pants. And the lady that helped me out was just delightful.
Haven’t said much about our “ah ha’s” of the day lately but we do have one or two today. First, this place is as decorated for Halloween as any city in the U.S. Many of the people out on the streets and in stores were wearing costumes. Secondly, right across the street, the “X Factor” television show is conducting auditions here in Milan! We saw a couple of acts — the ones we saw were good — but no Simon Cowell!
Saturday, 1 November. Milan
Well, we completed our last full day in Milan and Italy. Tomorrow we jump on the train for Basel, Switzerland and then switch to a train for Frankfurt, Germany where we’ll spend the night before flying back thru Dallas to Tucson. It’s been a nice day — one of those cool but sunny Fall days. We walked around a bit, looking at stores we had not visited, searching out that last minute purchase. I found a belt but we couldn’t decide on anything else. Had lunch at the Salsamenteria again, walked around a bit more and then settled into the apartment around 3:00 PM. Lunch was good — they always are when you start with prosciutto di parma and a cup of wine.
Fran’s eggplant parmegian at the Salsamenteria di Parma.
Jim’s sausage and spinach
We have thoroughly enjoyed every bit of our time in Italy, especially the connection with the Capodice and Berardinelli families in Sicily and Abruzzo. We do hope we’ll be able to pull off a family reunion back here next year although with two weddings and a few other things going on, it may be difficult.
We have certainly learned a great deal, from language to styles to traveling around the country by train, car and plane, but I think we can boil down “lessons learned” to one: check out the apartment you are renting for four things that might cause discomfort — exact location as you might be located where the noise disrupts a good night’s sleep, what floor you are on and if high enough, does the place have an elevator, where the apartment is relative to the activities you might pursue in that town and finally, although we did not need it, does the apartment have air conditioning. Sure, there are many more things we will keep in mind in the future, for instance, we attempted to travel very light. It would have been nice on a couple of occasions to have one nicer or dressier outfit for doing something special, like the opera or even just walking around in a place like Milan where everyone is dressed up in fashionable clothes.
Almost forgot the “ah hah” of the day. After being in this apartment all week, we finally figured out why the microwave oven clock shows one hour later than the actual time. Central Europe switches OFF Daylight Savings Time on the last Sunday in October. When all three of us arrived here last Saturday, we did not know that — actually, I am not sure we even knew Europe practices daylight savings! And, with just checking in, heading out for food, and settling into the apartment, we just didn’t pay attention. But that night, at 2:00 AM, the change to Central Europe time went into effect so the clock has continued to show an hour later all week long and we didn’t know why (nor could we figure out how to change the clock on the microwave!) Now we know.
We will close out or time in Milan with Mass at the Duomo tomorrow morning. With this we say Ciao to Italy and thank you for the beautiful, heartfelt memories. We will miss all of this! A piece of our hearts remain in Italy and that is ok with me!
Ciao all and thank you for following us on our journey through Italy and hope you enjoyed the chuckles, photos and comments. That’s all for this trip folks, it has been a pleasure.
Sunrise, our last day in Italy. Sun rising over the Duomo seems appropriate.
Oh,wow! How many times have I said that in the past months? It has been wonderful following you! I found that I could click on the pix and make them larger AND today I found I could enlarge them more with my fingers on my iPad!!! Beautiful on the ceilings of the churches ! I am amazed at the names of everything you saw!!! I know I will go back to the beginning and travel with u again!! I see that it is 4 am tomorrow morning, so I suppose you are beginning to “stir” thinking about your trip home. Isn’t it something as you are away, you are perfectly satisfied but when you pack to go home, you can’t get there fast enough!!! This is a long comment – should have just emailed it!!! Love you!